A Drop of a Memory
by katherinejane
Summary: His memory is in the sounds that I hear, the words that I speak, the scents that I smell and everything I see. I cannot take them all out, yet I cannot live with them inside of me. He stays just out of my grasp, just past my consciousness. I need him back
1. A single drop

It's funny how the simplest things stand out in your memory. Like how every time you smell orchids you see your sister in her wedding gown. How the sound of the ocean brings up images of picnics on the beach with your family. Or the very first time you saw Severus Snape.

* * *

_Platform Nine and Three Quarters September the First, Nineteen-Hundred and Seventy-Two_

* * *

It wasn't quite like she expected it to be. One part of her expected everyone to be running around and shouting to one another as friends saw each other for the first time in months. Another part of her could see ordered chaos as frazzled parents rushed to get their children on the train with all of their belongings. Instead what she saw were sober parents whispering to solemn faced children as they quietly loaded their trunks onto the train. Next to this the decorum of the Beauxbaton Academy seemed like chaos.

"Alectrona Eos Astraea Xenos! " a skinny, overly done Greek woman yelled out over the quiet crowd. Euryale Xenos didn't know the meaning of tact let alone when to use it.

"Yes mother." a rather small olive-skinned blonde replied in a dry bored tone. Alectrona, Alec to her brothers and sisters, hated her step-mother more than anything else in her life. Who wouldn't hate an obnoxious gold-digging whore after their fathers money. Oh well, she would learn just as the previous three wives had, Alastor Xenos never let go of anything he wanted until he had something better in sight, and he always destroyed his previous plaything so no one else could ever play with it.

"Why must you always wander off from the rest of your family, you ungrateful child." Euryale snapped out as she grabbed Alec's arm and dragged her back to the rest of her 'family'. While other families clung together trying to convey their love to each other the Xenos children tried to distance themselves from their father and step-mother as best they could. Alexiares and Anicetus her twin brothers from their fathers first marriage looked like the Greek gods of old that they had been named after. Tall, dark, and brooding Alex and Anic had spent their first four years at Durmstrang. Their oldest sister had already boarded the train much to their father and step-mothers displeasure, Amphitrite lived to cause the two of them unending frustration and anger, at least as much any Pureblood child would. Adephagia, her closest and only full-blood sister just sat on her trunk staring off into space.

"If I'm so ungrateful why do you insist I stand with you pretending to feel anything other than hate and annoyance. Maybe I wouldn't be such a disgrace if the twin wonders hadn't gotten all of us expelled. Now if you'll excuse me I am taking my trunk and getting on this train. _Avtio_ until June." and with that Alec walked off leaving her parents behind closely followed by her brothers and sister.

* * *

"Goodbye Mother" Severus Snape said as he stopped in front of the train.

"Goodbye Severus. Will you be coming home for Christmas?" Eileen Snape asked quietly.

"No mother, I think it would be best if I stayed at school this year." he replied rather tersely. Christmas last year had been quite horrible and it wasn't something he wished to relive. Listening to your parents fight night after night did not an enjoyable holiday make no matter how many times you may have heard it in the past.

"Be careful, many things are changing in our world." Eileen Snape withdrew a small package from her old and patched robes and handed it to her son. "I thought you might like this. It seemed like it might be useful to you."

"Thank you mother, I will open it on the train." Severus said as he boarded the train. Conversations with his mother were always stressful and best kept to a minimum. Severus opened the the door to the second compartment on the right and walked in to store his trunk overhead as usual. It wasn't long before the door the to the compartment opened a second time.

"Are you the only one in here?" the blonde asked looking at Severus.

"Obviously."

"Good, then you won't mind me sitting on the other bench."

"Don't you have friends to sit with?" he sneered as he opened his potions text intending to ignore the interloper.

"No, I had to transfer in this year, any other questions?" she asked as she tried to stow her trunk overhead.

"No."

"Can you help me put my trunk away?" the girl asked after two failed attempts at lifting her trunk up on to the storage shelf.

"Very well." Severus put his text down on the bench and stood to stow the annoying girls trunk. Why did she have to pick his compartment. He liked this compartment because it was so far up front that no one ever wanted to walk all the way to the front of the train let alone sit here. "Have you no family on board to annoy."

"Yes, unfortunately they decided that four to a compartment was more than enough and as the youngest I had to find somewhere else to sit. I thought you didn't have any other questions." she said sitting on her bench and swinging her legs up on the seat so that her back was to the window.

"That was before you required physical labour of me. Now is possible for you to sit still and be quiet?" he asked sitting back down and opening his text. At this rate he wouldn't even finish half of it before they arrived at Hogwarts.

* * *

To this day every time I smell the musky scent of leather book bindings I can see his stringy hair and hear his raspy voice, even after thirty years.

* * *

"Alec! Get up and change into your school robes." a severe yet beautiful raven haired girl said sharply as she entered the compartment. "You may come back to our compartment to change if you wish."

"I'll be fine Amphitrite." the small blonde said uncurling herself from the corner of the bench where she had been reading.

"Very well, meet us at the back of the train when we arrive. Father arranged for a teacher to escort us to the school to be 'sorted' before the first years. Do not make us late Alectrona." and as quickly as she had arrived the older girl left.

"Do you mind turning toward the window while I change." the girl, Alectrona, asked as she removed her uniform from her book bag.

"I assure you that I have absolutely no desire to see you with any less clothing than you are already wearing." Severus said as he continued to read about the cures to various shrinking potions. Seeing a flat-chested scrawny girl in the semi-nude held no appeal to him.

"Fine." she said as she started unbuttoning her shirt.

Severus swung his body around so that he faced the window as he read his text, hadn't she heard him say that he had no desire to see her undressing. Girls did not behave like they were supposed to. If he had openly stared at her as she undressed he would have been hexed. When he ignored her she began to blatantly strip down to her under garments directly in front of him. The female species was unpredictable, never having a true characteristic displayed by all, and this annoyed him greatly. How was a male of the species supposed to learn how to act correctly when the response to verbal or physical stimuli was never consistent.

"I'm dressed, you can turn back around now. Could you please help me get my trunk down, I'll just end up destroying something if I try to get it myself."

"Very well"

* * *

"Hello, I am Professor Slughorn. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to bring you directly to his office so that you may be sorted before the first years." the professor said as he stepped down from the carriage that had separated itself from the rest. "Are any of you first years?" he asked looking them all up and down.

"No professor, we are all second year or higher." Amphitrite answered quickly before turning toward the carriage Slughorn had arrived in. "Will we be taking a carriage to the castle?"

"No, we will be traveling by the floo here at the station up to the castle. Dumbledore thought that it might be easier if you were already sorted and seated at your respective houses before the feast begins. Now follow me please."

"Yes professor." they all replied as they gathered their luggage to take with them.

"Oh, no. Just leave your luggage here, the elves will send it to your dormitory's after you're sorted. Now if you will step in one by one and say Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"We have all traveled by floo before professor, where exactly is the floo powder kept?" Amphitrite said as she tried to control her outrage at this prosaic professor treating them like ignorant muggles.

"Its kept in the box on the right side of the mantle piece."

"Thank you. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." and with that Amphitrite disappeared from sight followed closely by her brothers and sisters to stumble out of the headmasters floo onto the rug.

"Ah, Miss Xenos I'm so glad you could join us this year and I see you brought your brothers and sisters with you, how delightful." a tall, skinny, hairy gray thing said as it moved to stand in front of Amphitrite. "Now which one of you would like to be sorted first?"

"We will go in birth order." Amphitrite said as she stood along with her siblings and brushed the ashes from her clothes. Hogwarts had none of the genteel qualities that Beauxbatons possessed.

"Ah good, a witch with a plan is always appreciated. Now if you will just sit her on the stool, yes now for the hat, just this once I believe we can skip your song in the interest of time." Dumbledore said as he walked behind Amphitrite and placed the hat on her head.

_"Very well."_ the sorting hat replied after a slight pause. _"Intensely proud of her heritage, no patience for fools, a sharp intellect, her mind is her greatest tool. Aware of all that is around her, her mind will open many a closed door, and while solving problems comes easily, her greatest desire to achieve all that is expected of her and more. Ravenclaw house will suit you like none other."_

"Wonderful! Now who's next?" Dumbledore said smiling as he lifted the hat off of Amphitrites head.

"That would be Anicetus."

"Good, good, have a seat dear boy so that we may begin."

_"He is devious and persuasive, full of vigor and self-importance, completely sure of himself no matter what the situation, pride of self he keeps in abundance . Slytherin house will supply all that you need and more."_

"Interesting, interesting, now for your brother."

_"A quick mind and a wit that is keen, two more alike than these I have never seen, to separate the two would be cause for more trouble than ever it would solve, though a word of warning I do issue, the troubles that brought you here quickly must be solved, and so to the Slytherin dungeon I send you."_

"Hmm, I do believe I shall have to watch out for you more than I might like. Which sister is next?" Dumbledore said with a slight frown.

"I believe that would be me professor." Adephagia said as she walked to the stool and sat down.

_"A witch who has little time for that which does not prove to be useful, she is a lover of books and learning, refuses to quit until she has the correct answer, to achieve great wisdom is her one true yearning. Without a doubt she will be a benifit to Ravenclaw house."_

"Congratulations, perhaps you will be the one to recreate Rowena's legendary diadem. Now for the youngest."

_"You have a thirst for knowledge but it is not all consuming, courage you possess but boldness is lacking, you sympathize with others though purposeful weakness sets you fuming, you agree that power is a great tool if used correctly and you take pride in your family though you extend them very little charity. Slytherin I think, will suit you best better that any of the rest."_

"Very curious you are child, very curious. Now you must all go down to the Great Hall if you wish to be seated before the sorting begins. Take the stairs down and head straight ahead through the large double doors, the Ravenclaw table is hung in blue and bronze and the Slytherin table in green and silver."

"Yes professor."

* * *

The mind can play tricks on you, making you see things that aren't really there or hear voices that no longer exist. You wake in the middle of the night and reach out to touch an empty pillow or you speak out loud to an empty room.

No, I don't need therapy. What I need is time, time and the guidance of a friend, neither of which are currently available to me.

* * *

A/N: Avtio farewell in greek, I think. I tried to use babelfish and all I got was a bunch of greek letters that eventually got turned into Avtio. If thats wrong please let me know. This is my first fanfic, let me know if you like it, hate it, or if I screwed something up horribly and you think it needs to be fixed. I learned a long time ago that all opinions contain at least a small kernel of truth. Thanks.


	2. The Makings of a Ripple

Sometimes introspection can be a good thing. You can discover things about yourself that will make you stronger, a better person. Dig to deeply and you can do more damage than good. I am not damaged, but I fear that I may become so in the not to distant future. They say that to see the future you must look to the past, what happens when you can't look at the past without wanting to destroy the future.

* * *

A feast to celebrate the mandatory sorting. As a first year it had seemed unnecessary, as a second year it was a chore. Severus wanted nothing more than to unpack the few things he had in his trunk and finish reading his text books. He took a seat as close to the doors as possible so he could leave as soon as he had finished eating.

"Hello Severus. Glad to be back at school again are we?" Lucius Malfoy asked as he sat down next to the boy he considered his protege.

"I will be, once this farce of a feast is over. There is no reason for anyone other than first years to have to witness the sorting hat and its ridiculous song."

"I thought complaining about being forced to watch Huffles and Gryffs being sorted was Lucius's job." Narcissa said rather drolly as she sat down on the other side of Lucius. After the announcement of their engagement last year Narcissa had begun emulating every thing Lucius did, even to the point of painstakingly spelling her hair blonde ringlets straight every day.

"Some aggravations are universal darling. Severus, who was the girl in your compartment on the train? I haven't seen her before." Lucius asked.

"Her name is Alectrona and she transferred from Beauxbatons along with her four siblings." he recited in a bored tone.

"Found a girlfriend have we Snape?" Andrea Bulstrode asked as she sat down across the table from Narcissa. "I guess there really is somebody for everyone."

Severus's patience was wearing thinner and thinner as his other housemates joined them at the table. The girls had gathered together and begun gossiping about what they had done over their school break, who had had the best parties and who was dating who. Why they had to giggle through it all he never would understand.

"It seems as if the Ravenclaws have a few new housemates." Nigellus Bulstrode remarked as he took the seat across from Lucius next to his younger sister. "And our own house as well apparently."

At that moment as their sisters sat down at the Ravenclaw table Alec and the twins sat down at Slytherin next to Severus. "Hello again."

"Do you live only to annoy me?" Severus asked closing his eyes and inhaling sharply. She had the entire table to sit at and she picked the seat beside him.

"No, it's just an added bonus. I thought the old man said we were going to be attending a feast?" Alec asked looking up and down the table.

"They subject us to the sorting of the first years before they stave off our starvation." Severus replied as he stared straight ahead at his friend Lance Wilkes as he sat down.

"How long does this normally take?" Alec asked glaring at Wilkes as he leering at her.

"About an hour sweetness, come on over here and I'll keep you entertained." Wilkes said patting the seat beside him. "I'm much better company than he is."

"She will not be sitting next to or doing anything with you." Alex said turning toward his sister and Wilkes as Anic continued chatting up the red head sitting next to him.

Only Severus seemed to notice the fact that they were gathering the attention of almost all the Slytherins and some of the Ravenclaws. School hadn't even started yet and there was already a fight brewing at the Slytherin table. Severus wanted the power and admiration of his housemates, not their laughter and derision.

"Why don't we let her decide. Do you want to sit between a malevolent bat and ogre boy here or would you rather come over here and snuggle up next to me. I promise you won't regret it." Wilkes reached across the table to run his fingers over the back of her hand.

Alex grabbed his hand and twisted it around as he stood up making Wilkes stand and hunch over the table. "Do not ever touch or speak to my sister like that ever again, or θα σας σκοτώσω."

"OK, ok ok. Aagh! I won't talk to your sister anymore, just let me go." Wilkes hissed in pain.

"Ο Alex τον άφησε να πάει! Let him go, he's just a stupid τσάντα τσαγιού. Let him go before you get us expelled again!" she pulled at his arm trying make him let go. "Alex! Don't be a fool! Let him go!"

"What do we have here? Mr. Xenos fighting already, term hasn't even begun yet." Professor Slughorn said as he walked up to the table.

"He has insulted my sisters honor!"

"Yes, well it isn't the first and it wont be the last time that Mr. Wilkes insults a young witches honor." Slughorn chuckled to himself. "He is somewhat of what the muggles call a 'Cassanova'."

"That does not excuse him!"

Suddenly the feast didn't seem as boring as usual. Severus settled in to watch the show.

* * *

This was not happening. Why couldn't her brother just leave well enough alone. Wilkes was just a stupid ass boy, he wasn't a threat to her or her honor. She might be twelve but she wasn't an idiot.

"Alex, shut up and sit down! My honor is intact and will stay that way, now back off!"

Alex let Wilkes arm go. "Alectrona, he insulted you, he treated you like a common whore!"

"No, he's just a stupid boy who's all talk and probably can't even get it up. Nothing about what he did insulted me." Alec pulled her brother down onto the bench beside her.

"There, see everything is fine. Now everyone can watch the sorting and attend the feast. Mr. Xenos come see me in my office after you unpack." Slughorn said smiling as he walked off to the staff table.

Wilkes rubbed his shoulder glaring at Alec and Alex. _"Great, now I'm going to be known as the bitch with the homicidal older brother. Not that I really care what people think of me but not being ostracised immediately would have been nice."_Alec just wanted to put her head down on the table and go to sleep, back home in Patras it was almost midnight. Her head ached and she could feel her brother seething beside her. This night was definitely going down as one of the most memorable of her life.

"Does chaos follow you everywhere or does it come naturally?" Severus asked dryly.

"Is raising your eyebrow to inhuman heights an ability you were born with or did you practice in front of the mirror every day?" Alec shot back. "I thought you were through asking questions."

Severus just glared at her with contempt.

"What, no quick little comeback or snarky remark? Chaos may follow me around but at least I have an interesting life. What have you done lately besides read your school books before you even get to school? You look down on me because my brother defended me from the lame ass advances of your classmate, I'll admit he may have been a bit over the top, but at least we're loyal to each other. No one here stood up for your friend when my brother had him bent over the table except for your professor.Yeah, my life is chaotic and unpredictable but at least it's fun and, thanks to my wonderfully over-protective brothers, relatively safe." even though she was hissing and whispering all of this to Severus as the first years were being sorted all Slytherin eyes were on the two of them. Malfoy eyed them calculatingly, as if trying to assess their worth to him while Cissy and Andrea openly stared at her in horror.

Severus' face set into an unreadable mask as he stared intently at the table.

"Did I hit a nerve? Maybe next time you'll think about what you're about to say before you open your mouth." Alec sneered at Severus.

"Yes I do believe you did hit a nerve." Lucius said looking over Severus at Alec. "You are wrong though, we are loyal to our housemates, when they deserve it. If your stupid enough to act like Wilkes and not expect repercussions eventually you will screw up and cross someone in your house, we'll defend you against Huffles, Gryffs and Ravenclaws but you're on your own against other Slytherins."

"Interesting 'practices' you have here." Alex spoke over his sister. "You take care of your own in front of others, but you do not suffer the fools amongst you."

"A rather simplified version, but yes it does suffice. I wouldn't worry about Slughorn if I were you, just boost his ego and bring him something rich to eat if you have it." Sylvestor Nott advised as he joined the conversation.

Alec and Severus continued to glare at one another as they seethed inside.

* * *

How can you go from thinking you hated someone with every fiber of your being to loving them more than your own self. I would have given my life for his in a heartbeat, no matter what the consequences of my action would have been. Would Harry have been found and killed? I wouldn't have cared, I still don't care if the boy-who-couldn't-follow-the-rules won or lost. Nothing about what he did for the wizarding world made my life any better.

* * *

_"How dare she! Just because she wished to spend her time on the train daydreaming out the the window did not mean that everyone must engage in frivolous activities._" Severus was so mad he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. _"What right did this bitch have to judge him?"_

"Rich?" Alex asked confused.

"He loves handmade Swiss chocolates, I got to re-do my draught of living death last year after I gave him a box that my mother had sent me." Andrea volunteered. "If it's a rare, expensive or elite food Slughorn will damn near worship it. He gets some kind of weird power trip off of people bringing him things of worth."

"Will a bottle of Mavrodaphni suffice?"

"Mavrodaphni? Black grape wizarding wine, Slughorn would find a way for you to retake your N.E.W.T.s for a bottle of Mavrodaphni." Nott laughed. "How the hell did you get a bottle into Hogwarts?"

"It is our family's wine."

Of course their family raised one of the most highly sought after wizarding wine in the world. Severus would have liked nothing better than to light her blonde hair on fire with one of the floating candles. However, at that moment Dumbledore finnished his speech and called the feast. Severus grabbed a piece of lamb off the platter in front of him and the bowl of candied yams to his right. He was determined to eat as quickly as possible so he could escape to the dormitories.

* * *

It was damp, dark and cold. It was also horribly decorated in stiff looking black leather couches and poker straight green velvet chairs. Hopefully her dormitory would be more comfortable. Alex followed the flow of girls down the hallway to the left. Watching the prefects drop the first years off at their room she made the logical conclusion and walked into the next door on the right.

"Who are you?" a petite red haired girl asked from across the room.

"My name is Alectrona Xenos. Is this the second year dormitory?"

"Yes, that's your bed over there. I wondered if anyone was going to replace Portia." she pointed to a bed on the far side of the room. "The elves already brought your trunk down."

"Tegan!" two brunettes called out as they burst into the room. "Where have you been all summer?! Who is that?" they said stopping short. Not only were they identical but they spoke in time with each other.

"Her name is Alectrona. Alectrona these two are Aubrey and Audrey Haberfield, I'm Tegan Semple."

"Where is Edith?" Aubrey asked.

"Probably off in some corner sucking face with Carell." Audrey made gagging noises after hearing this.

"You're the one with cute brother who tried to break Lance's arm aren't you." Tegan said as she unpacked her trunk and put away her things.

"Unfortunately that would be a yes." Alec closed her eyes and sighed as she remembered the confrontation.

"What did he do this time?" the twins asked giggling.

"He asked me to sit next to him and insinuated that we could be more than friends, so my brother 'defended my honor' and got himself detention on our first night here." Alec wasn't sure if she was going to like the twins, they seemed at bit to light-headed, but the girl Tegan seemed alright.

"So, do you like Snape or something?" Audrey asked coming to sit on Alec's bed.

"Who is Snape?" Alec asked as she placed her skirts into her wardrobe drawer.

"He's the guy you sat next to at dinner and asked all those questions before your brother got all macho." Audrey said with the ever present giggles.

"Oh, him. I had to sit with him on the train because all of the other compartments were full. I sat down because I recognised him and thought he might be able to answer my questions, I didn't think he would be such a prick." Alec finnished putting away her things and closed her wardrobe.

"That's Snape for you. He doesn't talk a whole lot and when he does it's usually to cut someone down." Tegan said from the other side of her bed which was directly across from Alec's next to the door.

"Girls!" a willowy blonde called out as she walked into the room. "How was your summer? Who the hell are you? Where's Portia?"

"Maybe if you would remember to send an owl or two you'd know. Portia's father was promoted to British Ambassador to the South American Ministry of Magic. Her parents transferred her to Escuela de la Magia, to try and show that they supported them and all that crap. She sent us all owls about it." Tegan told her.

"I guess I was in Belgrade on holiday then. I had all my post held back home, I'm sure its in my trunk somewhere. Who is she?"

"She's new, her name is Alectrona."

"Does she not know how to talk? Hello! Earth to the little midget." Edith sneered at Alec.

"Oh I can talk alright. I just refuse to have to explain myself to idiots." Alec replied, maybe Hogwarts wasn't so different from Beauxbatons after all. The girls were just as vain and stupid here as they were in France. She noticed that the twins weren't giggling anymore but staring at her in awe while Tegan smirked and the bitch fumed. Everything was going to be ok, maybe not all happiness and sunshine, but it would be ok.

* * *

Looking back at ourselves we were just scared little children trying to grow up being raised by parents that didn't care about us as long as we didn't damage the family name. I see their graves in my mind, I remember how they died. Some were killed by Aurors who were so sure that they were right and just in their actions. No one wants to admit that the 'good' guys killed people without questions the same as the Death Eaters did, they just had the ability to manipulate the circumstances afterwards to avoid going to Azkaban.

* * *

I got all my translations from Babelfish. If any of them are wrong please let me know so I can fix them.

θα σας σκοτώσω!- I will kill you!

Ο Alex τον άφησε να πάει!- Alex let him go!

τσάντα τσαγιού- tea bag. I found this online as a derogatory term for a British person.

Escuela de la Magia- School of Magic. I couldn't think of anything else to call it.

Mavrodaphni is a Greek wine produced in Patras Greece by the Achaia-Clauss winery, it is a preferred wine of the Greek Orthodox church for Holy Communion.

I apologize for the amount of time between updates, I have been babysitting three twentysomthings getting drunk every night since the seventh and I don't foresee a stop until school starts back up. So until the Celtic twins and Cajun Wonder decide to grow up and act like adults updates may be few and far between.


	3. Splish Splash

I learned more from him than from any teacher at Hogwarts. Not everything was educational, but it was all worthy. Nobody could brew potions like he did, not even Slughorn himself. Even Professor Cleaver didn't know as many defensive spells as he did. He was Chung's favorite student even above the Ravenclaws.

* * *

_September Fourth, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Two_

* * *

How the hell was she supposed to get to class on time when the staircases all changed randomly. Transfiguration here was a joke! McGonagall wanted them to change a pincushion into a moth, a plain ordinary brown moth. Professor Rousseau would have made it an intricate bird or at least a butterfly with unusual markings. Oh well best get to Potions now and worry about Transfig later.

She rounded the corner and walked through the door just as the professor was exiting his office. "_A seat, a seat, a seat got to find a seat. Ugh, it would have to be right next to that Snape boy."_

"What are you doing?" he asked sneering at Alec.

"Oh shut up, it's not like I wanted to sit next to you for a double class, it was the only available seat." Alec set her bag down beside her stool and neatly arranged her tools in front of her. "What are we making?"

"Hiccup Hiatus potions. Second years years make a supply every year for Madam Pomfrey to use in the infirmary ." Snape explained.

"Mr. Snape, Ms. Xenos, do you have something to share with the class?" Slughorn asked from behind his podium at the front of the room.

"No professor." they answered in tandem. Snape glared at her as he did so.

"Yes, well do remember that while in my classroom I am the teacher. Now as many of you know we will be brewing Hiccup Hiatus potions today to re-supply the infirmary. After you and your partner have both finished retrieve a vial of Hiccuping Solution from my desk so that you may test yours. If you fail you will have to remake your potion with the aid of your partner. Should you both pass you will be excused from the rest of this class and the next lesson. You may now begin." and with that the ingredient list appeared on the board. Severus however had already retrieved his ingredients.

* * *

Time passed quickly for Severus as it always did when he made a potion. He happened to glance over at Alectrona who was at that point about to add her next to last ingredient. "Do not put that caterpillar fuzz into your cauldron! The recipe calls for dark brown not light brown fuzz."

"It was all that was left, besides what would it matter anyway." Alectrona hissed.

"Light brown fuzz will increase the rate of hiccups in the victim rather than stopping them. Use the rest of mine, I do not wish to have to help you repeat you potion." Severus slid his leftover fuzz to Alectrona.

"Oh." she put her fuzz down and sprinkled his fuzz into her cauldron causing it to turn green and bubble quietly. "Are these gryffon feathers ok?"

"Yes, but only use half of what you gathered, it will cook more evenly and faster." Severus was only doing this so that he wouldn't be here all day waiting on her potion to pass.

"Thank you."

Severus nodded in acknowledgement as he rose to collect the vial and bottles from Slughorns desk. He carefully poured out the four bottles worth of potion and swallowed the vial of Hiccuping Solution. The hiccups were so powerful he almost fell out of his chair. He quickly swallowed his anti-dote and felt his stomach and lungs settle back down.

"Well done Mr. Snape an O as usual, if your partner finishes her potion as well as you have you will both be excused for the rest of this class and the next." Slughorn said from behind his desk where he was napping.

In a few minutes Alectrona rose to gather her vial and bottles. As she began reaching for her dipper Severus stopped her. "Wait two more minutes then remove your cauldron from the fire first."

"Ok." as she sat and watched her potion, the bubbling noticeably slowed and it began to grow darker color.

"Take if off now and un-stopper your bottles. Pour slowly and steadily." the potion slowly changed from green to dark blue as she poured it into the bottles. It wasn't quite as good as his but it would definitely work better than Potter or Blacks who were overcooking theirs. "Now drink this and then take a spoonful of your leftover potion."

Alectrona very nearly went into convulsions after drinking the potion, Severus had to hold her shoulders so she could take the anti-dote.

"Well done Ms. Xenos, it looks like you and Mr. Snapewill be enjoying a break early this year. Please label your bottles and place them on my desk. Mr. Potter kindly extinguish your potion! This class is why we must watch our potions very carefully, had you turned down the flame and simmered for the correct amount of time instead of trying to get out of class early you might have been able to skip next class, instead you will remain with me writing an essay on the uses of caterpillar fuzz." Severus smiled to himself as he and Alectronaleft. Being popular didn't help you with in class school work.

* * *

I have used more of that potion in the last year that I ever thought I would. I could make it in my sleep now. The caterpillar fuzz is still kept in the same spot he always kept them and I never take my potions off early.

* * *

Alec didn't necessarily hate potions, it hated her. Last year she melted seven cauldrons before her professor banned her from the classroom and made her write essays about the potions instead of making them. Actually succeeding almost made her feel light headed. The only thing bringing her down was knowing that Snape was responsible for her passing.

Alec headed toward the loo to wash her hands. It was only the first day of class but she didn't have a good feeling about potions, she was going to have to find someone to tutor her or she would be sending Slughorn casks of wine just so she could pass. She bent down towards the sink and splashed a bit of water onto her face.

"Been crying have we?" a voice came from behind her.

"AGGH! Who's there?!" Alec screamed in shock as she stumbled over her feet from turning around to quickly.

"It's alright, I cry in here all the time." Moaning Myrtle floated out of her stall and over to the sinks.

"I wasn't crying, I was just trying to clear my head a bit." Alec wasn't quite sure why she was talking to a ghost like it was a living person. "Um, do you know how to get to the library from here?"

"Yes, it's on the fourth floor. Just go to the end of the hall and take one of the staircases up two floors."

"Thank you." Alec said to thin air as Myrtle dove into her toilet causing a large splash. She walked out of the bathroom headed toward the library so she could look up the potion she had just made and how she had almost messed it up.

"Alectrona! Wait up!" Tegan called out from further down the hall.

Alec stopped and waited for her to catch up to her.

"Where are you going?" she asked out of breath from running down the hall.

"To the library to look up the potion we just made."

"Yuck! Studying already, c'mon there are better things to do." Tegan grabbed Alec's arm and dragged her down the staircases to the dungeon. "You were already gone when we woke up this morning for breakfast."

"Um, I'm sorry. I woke early and did not want to disturb you or the twins. You all looked exhausted." Alec had no idea why Tegan was dragging her to the Slytherin common room. She didn't think that they were friends after only having met last night, not that she did not want to be friends with the girl, she just didn't think that they were to the point of becoming attached at the hip.

"Yeah, Edith kept us up until three with unwanted tales of her holiday in Belgrade. You spent last year at Beauxbatons right?" Alec nodded. "Is it true that your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher also taught you curses as well as defensive spells?"

"I guess. We don't spend very much time in DADA as first years, you really don't get into it until second year. Why do you ask?" Alec stepped into the Slytherin common room after Tegan.

"C'mon, we have to get to our room first." Tegan turned off to the girls hallway still dragging Alec behind her. "We won't be distirbed for a while, Edith was melting her cauldron when I left and the twins were on their way to the infirmary for adding the wrong color fuzz to their potions. Have a sit." Tegan said as she patted the end of her bed.

"Ok, what is so important about my DADA that you needed to know without the other girls around?" Alec asked getting a bit testy. She didn't like being dragged around school by someone she had only known for twelve hours.

"You're the only one besides Portia who has ever stood up to Edith, even some of the third and fourth years back down to her."

"Ok, what does that have to do with anything? She's a bitch who walks on top of all you people, I'm not going to let her walk on top of me."

"Yes, I know. Edith's father is the Senior Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic, she uses her fathers position to get everything she wants. I can't stand up to her, my mother and father both work at the ministry in the Improper Use of Magic Office. Edith got her father to send Portia's father to South America after she turned her hair green because Edith wanted her new Wizards Chess set from Australia and took it after Portia said no."

"Ok, but again what does this have to do with me?" Alec asked getting just a little ticked off.

"Most of us can't do anything to her face, she knows all the curses and charms we know and can get our parents transferred or fired at the ministry. I was hoping that since she can't really do anything to you you would be able to show us some new curses she doesn't know the counter-curse for and just stand up to her in general." Tegan said sighing at the end. "We all hate her, we just can't do anything about it."

"Oh. Um, I pretty much know all the same curses as you, but I can cask my brothers and sisters." Alec didn't know what to think, nobody ever came to her for help. The Sorting hat was right she hated purposeful weakness and power was her greatest tool when used properly. "Did Portia get into trouble for turning Edith's hair green?"

"No, Slughorn just thought it was us girls messing around, why?"

"I think Edith should have a new hairstyle for dinner tonight."

* * *

Severus walked out of the common room where he had been reading his potions book. He had wanted to read in his room but Julian had beaten him back and was at present making unearthly sounds doing god knows what, Severus had turned around and gone back to the couches in the common room and read in the relative silence broken only by the sound of Nott's pages turning at the other end of the room as he wrote notes for upcoming quidditch plays.

He was headed to lunch in the Great Hall and then on to a double Herbology with Hufflepuff when he heard Tegan and the new girl coming up behind him. Severus ducked into an alcove behind the statue of Merwyn the Malicious.

"Can you please make her hair orange? Edith hates orange more than anything." Tegan asked giggling. "Oh I can't wait till Herbology."

"Yes, yes I know, now shut up or someone will find out and we'll get in trouble before we do anything to her." Severus' eyes widened slightly in surprise, she hadn't been here for two days and she was already plotting what seemed like a curse on the biggest bitch in Slytherin after Susanna Greengrass. This might be something to see. Severus stepped out from behind the statue after the girls had passed and followed them up the stairs to the Great Hall.

"Severus, come sit down here with us." Nott called out as he neared the table.

"Severus I have a small favor to ask." Lucius said as he sat down next to Sylvestor. Severus eyed Lucius and waited. "I need a potion brewed, a particular potion which requires a skilled and gentle touch, the utmost attention to detail, and a knowlegable mind."

"Which potion?"

"Will you make it?" Lucius asked lowly.

"First I must know which potion it is before I will agree to anything." Severus replied as he reached for a sandwich on the platter in front of him. "It would be foolish to promise something that I may not be able to guarantee."

Lucius paused "Meet me behind the statue of Ignatia Wildsmith on the fifth floor after your last class." He seemed displeased that Severus had not immediately agreed to make his potion.

He wasn't a fool. Lucius never asked for anything unless it was completely necessary. He either made his elves do it or intimidated others to do what he wanted. Intimidation didn't work on Severus however so he was forced to ask for anything that he might need from him.

Severus ate his sandwich in relative peace. The hall was about as quiet as it would ever be with everyone in it. Most people were dragging because they weren't used to getting up early after their summer break, some of the Huffles had actually fallen asleep at their table. Down at the end of the Slytherin table Tegan and Alectrona had their heads together whispering, they had been joined by the Haberfield twins who looked like their eyes would pop out at any moment.

"Severus, you missed a good show in potions." Aelhaearn Roberts said as he sat down near Severus. "Potter set his cauldron on fire right after you left. He managed to blow up Evan's potions while he was putting his out and she cast _engorgio_ on Potters ears and nose."

Severus smiled to himself. He would have enjoyed watching Lily blow-up the self-important prick. They didn't see each other a lot while in school but they were still friends during the summer, her parents had even let them set up a lab in their basement to practice potions. As proud as he was to be a Prince he often wished that his parents were more like Lily's, kind, supportive and understanding. The only dark spot in Lily's family was her sister Petunia and her boyfriend Vernon, they were the sort of muggles that would kill a witch or wizard just because they were different from them.

"Getting chummy with the new girl Severus?" Julian asked sitting down.

"Were you slipped a confusion concoction over the summer?" Severus asked with a sneer.

"Of course not. I was merely inquiring because you voluntarily assisted your lab partner when you would have allowed any of the rest of us to fail." Julian chuckled slightly. "You let Wilkes fail often enough last year."

"None of our potions last year were being used in the infirmary or allowed us time out of class for correct concoction on the part of both partners."

"Ah, you only help your partner when get something out of it. I can respect that."

"Of course he got something out of it, he wouldn't be a Slytherin if he didn't. Are any of you planning on trying out for the Quidditch team?" Sylvestorasked. "All positions, with the exception of mine, are open as usual."

"Are you going to let girls play or are you going to be archaic like Cardan?" Andrea asked from her coven of giggling girls down at the front of the table.

"As long as you out fly and out maneuver the other candidates you're welcome to play on my team anytime. Just remember that I don't allow anyone to miss practices because of 'witch' problems, robe sales, or to comfort your slag girlfriends when their boyfriends dump them. One missed practice and you're off my team for the season." Sylvestor said as he eyed her up and down. "Now if it's just a broom you're wanting to ride, I'll always have a position or two available for you."

"I wouldn't ride your broom if it were the last one in England." Andrea popped back at Sylvestor.

Severus would bet his potions book that the two of them would be back to snogging behind statues and feeling each other up in the restricted section by the end of next week. The two of them had been a lesson in the human reproductive system to his first year self when he had happened upon them in the library last year. It looked like it was going to be fun year here at Hogwarts, for everyone else that is.

* * *

Plants are the one thing in my life that I have never let down and have never let me down. They demand little more than soil, water, nutrients and love. The most beautiful can kill you before you even know that you are dying, the most grotesque cure diseases that magic cannot even begin to alleviate.

* * *

"_Veloxnovo tressa umbra._" Alec cast in a whispered tone as Edith walked into the greenhouse.

"What did you cast on her?" Tegan whispered.

"It's a quick change spell for her hair, my sister suggested it when I asked about hexes. The more she plays with her hair the quicker it will change colors. I think it's just what you were looking for." Alec smiled as she pulled her dragon hide herbology gloves out of her bag.

"Hello class, welcome to Greenhouse number four. I trust brought your dragon hide gardening gloves with you. My name is Professor Sprout, I have been asked to stand in for Professor Plennwch as he recovers from an allergic reaction to grizzlevine." a young dumpy woman with frizzy brown hair who barely looked twenty years of age, certainly not knowledgable enough to instruct students only a few years younger than herself. "Today we will be planting Asian Pygmy Barnacle Trees, these are a close relation to the full size species which is native to the Isle of Man from which golden-egg laying geese may be harvested. Your seedlings however, will produce pygmy cotton-egg geese, the fibers of which are used in enchanted clothing, tapestries, and painting canvases. Now if you could all please select a pot from the table on the northside of the room, make sure that it will fit at least two closed fists in the bottom but not so large that a human head would rest comfortably. Room to grow is important but the risk of toppling over and killing the geese is a concern if the pot is overly large and a strong root system has not developed. Fill the bottom with one half inch coarse green sand, and five to six large pieces of red lava rock for warmth, on top of that mix one-part dragon dung, one-part compost, three-parts gardening soil and two heaping spoons full of sea-salt. Add one can of water after you have transferred your plant"

"Salt! That kills plants you idiot! Whoever let you fill in as a professor is obviously out of their mind." Edith sneered as the other Slytherins laughed a bit uneasily with her.

"I wouldn't look down on other intelligence so quickly if I were you." Alec said quietly. "Barnacle trees require sea-salt to produce fully-developed geese capable of laying eggs."

"You are correct Miss-?"

"Xenos, Alectrona Xenos."

"Yes, as Miss Xenos said sea-salt is required for the geese to lay eggs, all the golden Barnacle Trees found in the wild grow along the shore at Maughold on a protected beach away from Muggle tourist. There are only twelve trees left now after the witch Freya Bjarnarson was convinced that the geese were her six brothers and she accidentally hunted them nearly to extinction. Your trees are native to southern Asia and, as we said before, produce cotton-egg laying geese. Everyday you and your partner will be expected to return here to the greenhouse to water and salt your trees until your geese drop off upon which time you will be expected to raise them in your dormitories." Professor Sprout pulled a tray out from under her table as she explained their assignment. "Since we will not actually be growing them in tidal waters your geese will not lay eggs capable of sprouting into new trees. Now, if everyone will gather your supplies you may begin transplanting your seedlings, take care to massage the root balls so that the tree will send out new roots."

"Professor, if our geese could produce eggs that would grow into new trees why are there only twelve golden trees left?" a blonde Hufflepuff boy asked.

"The Ministry restricted the growing locations for the trees in 837 A.D. due to the raids of Norse wizards and witches, the charms and wards keep anyone who is not a ministry licensed gardener from entering and anyone, even ministry officials, from leaving with fertile golden eggs. Many eggs are produced everyday by the geese and, after the yolks and whites have been drained away, the shells are sold to potions shops as ingredients in many complex draughts and potions. The tidal pools on the beach can only support the twelve ancient trees left, they tried to plant eggs where Bjarnarson destroyed the trees during her rampage in 1348, she is the only known witch to ever break the protective spells, but they never tookand the older trees soon blocked the pools with their own root systems."

Alectrona calmly potted her little gray seedling that looked more like a slimy half decayed sea slug. Edith kept glaring at her from across the room but she didn't care, the more she twirled her hair around her finger instead of potting her plant the more orange her hair became, at this rate it would be the color of butterfly weed by the end of class!

"Alec! It's working!" Tegan whispered beside her excitedly.

"Be quiet! Unless you want her to know that we're behind it, just enjoy the sight and act like everything is normal. Tell the twins to quit giggling so much."

"Oh, that is normal for them, they can't be quiet for more than ten minutes, they even talk in their sleep to one another. Ew, is it supposed to move?' Tegan asked as her plant started withing on the soil around it.

"You forgot to add your sea-salt and water, it's out of balance in the dry soil." Alec helped Tegan water her plant which was soon standing up nicely next to hers. Class flew by rather quickly unlike Potions which dragged on indefinitely.

* * *

He hated Herbology. He didn't have a black thumb per say, but it definitely wasn't green. Severus followed every instruction perfectly but his seedling only wanted to droop halfway instead of standing up straight. He hadn't killed it but it wasn't going to flourish like he wanted.

"Hey Snape! Did you see Nevisons hair?" Roberts asked coming up and sitting in the chair across from Severus in the common room. "Pomfrey can't get it to change back, they even tried Mugglehair dye which turned it puke green! Oh, Merlin I wish I knew who did it, she's going to have to cut it all off or leave it green for the rest of the year!" he burst into laughter along with the rest of the Slytherins that heard him bellowing it out for all to hear.

"It is quite disgusting looking." Andrea Bullstrode said from across the room. "I saw it when I went to deliver a box of potions from the second years for Slughorn. The more Madam Pomfrey tried to fix it the worse it became, he hair looked like it was on fire until they used the muggle dye. And it isn't puke green Roberts, it's more like pond scum green." they all laughed again, none of them were the least concerned about Edith. Slytherins served only themselves and those that they themselves could eventually use.

Severus was convinced that the Xenos girl was responsible, especially after hearing Tegan in the hallway and seeing her in the great hall with Semple and the Haberfields. Tegan could be just as cruel as any of the other Slytherins, she was just better at looking innocent afterwards. But whether Tegan and her friends were behind Edith's hair color was not his problem, making Lucius' potion was.

It was entirely possible for him to make, the problem was going to be acquiring the ingredients and brewing them without anyone discovering the potion. Most of the components were easy to come by, the last two had to be grown and plucked less than twenty minutes before they were added to the brew which was why Lucius came to him. The only solution that he could think of was to have Lucius buy the plants right before the end of Christmas break in Knockturn Alley, hopefully the potion would be close enough to completion for him to keep them alive. The other problem would be keeping the potion hidden, the horrendous smell, let alone the size of cauldron it required, ruled out most of his normal hiding spots. Empty classrooms were out of the question, people passing by would smell it through the door, water closets were to damp and would ruin the potion, and the Slytherin dormitory's were to crowded to keep it hidden. He still had three weeks before he started the potion to find a place that would meet all his criteria. If it weren't for the fact that Lucius was willing to pay eighty galleons and supply everything he would tell him to shove it up his arse. It was like Aphra Behn said 'Money speaks sense in a language all nations understand', even Severus could be bought for the right price.

* * *

The one thing that I was better at than him would nearly get me killed later, after our school days. He managed to save my life five times, and I couldn't save his once.

* * *

The myth of the barnacle tree was a widely accepted fact among horticulturists even into the 18th century. It being the 'mother' of the golden goose is my own fiction however, as is the goose that lays cotton eggs. The wild rampaging destruction is my twist to the tale of the Six Swans which can be found in The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.

By the way, if you ever accidentally dye your hair orange or blue DO NOT RE-DYE YOUR HAIR THE SAME DAY!! I know this from personal experience, I had pond scum green hair for two weeks until we could strip my hair without it all falling out. Always make sure you read the directions and choose the right color for your skin tone and original hair color.

Aphra Behn was the first published woman in England. She lived from 1640 to 1689, served as a spy for Charles II, went to debtors prison and wrote many plays. She was the most prolific writer of the Restoration after John Dryden.

Oh, I also HATE hurricanes and apologize to those of you who are following the story. Every time one comes through I lose internet for about a week until Comcast will get their rear ends out to the country to reconnect it and another hurricane comes through a few days later starting the cycle all over again.

I hope you liked it and I will do my best to update more often if at all possible.


	4. Authors Apology

Hey. Sorry that I have not updated in two months but my life is kinda hectic right now. I got a promotion at work, got engaged and I am helping take care of my Grandfather. I'm still writing but it will be kinda few and far between. Sorry.


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